Nog för att man håller lite extra på Rickard Rydell, men han kommer knappast att rå på de läckra Alforna med Larini och Giovanardi i morgon.
En aktuell intervju med Rickard Rydell, från Autosports hemsida:
Rickard Rydell Q&A
Touring car racing's very own 'Super Swede', Rickard Rydell, has switched to the new-look FIA European Touring Car Championship this season, teaming up with Volvo - with whom he won the 1998 BTCC - and Prodrive. After two fourth places in the opening rounds at Magny-Cours, Rydell has closed the gap to the thus far all conquering works Nordauto Alfa Romeo squad by qualifying third at Silverstone. Charles Bradley caught up with him after the cool Swede's hot lap.
Q: Were you worried after Magny-Cours being a second off the pace of the Alfas?
"Yes, for sure. It made me wonder if it was going to take the whole season to catch up, but we've closed half of the gap already, so I'm very happy about that. I think we've still got quite a lot of work to do, we especially need more power to keep up with them on the straights. It is finding the time to do it, because there is only two weeks between the races. So far, I've been happy with what we've managed to achieve since the first round."
Q: What has been the biggest change to the car since then?
"The gearbox is the biggest thing. We were losing a lot there, but the gearshift is a lot better now. It is still not perfect, but we can make it better. The balance of the car is not perfect either, but the other main thing, of course, is the power deficit, so we need to improve the engine."
Q: The Volvo looks a big car next to its opposition, does that help or hinder?
"It looks larger than the others but it's not actually that much bigger, especially higher up. It may be an advantage in the fast corners, and there are a lot of those here, so maybe that is why we are a lot quicker than we were at Magny-Cours."
Q: You enjoyed a lot of success with both Prodrive and Volvo in recent history, it must be nice to be back racing with both of them?
"Yeah, it's very good. Prodrive is a very professional team, and getting Volvo involved too is perfect. We need to work hard and win some races."
Q: What do you think of the competition in the ETCC?
"If you look at some of the drivers here, it is at least as good as the last few years of the BTCC. There are a lot of ex-Formula 1 drivers, and some very good teams as well, so it's very competitive."
Q: Are you surprised that BMW is off the pace?
"No, not really. I think they can make some improvements. I went off in the first session, so I got to look at the other cars, and I think they can make their car better as well. They are not far off, Jorg Muller is only half a second off me. I'm sure they will close the gap.
Q: Did you enjoy the reverse grid race at Magny-Cours?
"For entertainment it is perfect. Just reversing the top six is great, because they are all of the same driving standard. If you reversed the whole thing, it would cause a problem. It's great for spectators, because you get a lot of overtaking. I'm all for it."
Q: I understand you were texting Alain Menu at the DTM race at Hockenheim while you were at Magny-Cours?
"Yes, we started during testing in the week because I wasn't having a good time. I asked him if he fancied swapping cars, but he said no. Now I think he regrets it! [Menu starts ninth in Sunday's DTM race at Zolder]"